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I 



"A HEW 
POLITICAL ECOHOnY" 

SHOWING THE 

UNDERI.YING CaUSE FOR POVERTY, IGNORANCE AND 

Crime, and Ai^so the True and Permanent 
Remedy eor These Evils. 



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^' B.J. JENKINS, Author. 



Entered w the Office of Librarian of Congress, October 21st, 1895. 

KtH*' r^,i" i^~- 
PRICE. 25 CENTS. '\^a9^3'<TC^- 



THE DAILY CALUMET PRINT, ^R^^E^^po^ciL^ SOUTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. 



PREFACE 



The author asks a careful reading and 
thorough study of this book, for he is con- 
vinced great and lasting good for humanity 
will result fronn it. 



DEDICATION 



This little book is dedicated to our so- 
called "Political Economists" and alleged 
"Statesmen" of the past and present. 

THE AUTHOR. 



"A New Political Ecomony." 



The writer respectfully refers the following- thoug-hts to 
those who are honestly seeking- a true and permanent remedy 
for the suifering-s of poverty and ignorance that afflict hu- 
manity, and with the hope that those who ag-ree with his 
views will earnestly and constantly work for a hig-her and 
nobler civilization, a civilization so far higher, g-rander, and 
ever upward and more prog-ressive, that those who understand, 
and think, and feel the motives that prompt these words, 
i^ould willingly g-ive their best efforts towards its fulfillment. 

All causes produce certain effects, every effect has its 
origin in some cause, a bad system of taxation makes unjust 
laws, unjust laws make poor citizens (financially), poor citi- 
zens make criminals and slaves. We are living- today in this 
country under the same system of taxation, that will produce 
the same effect in this country, that system has produced in 
older countries, the same system must produce the same re- 
sult, or " history repeats itself. " Follow me in thoug-ht and 
see if we cannot discover the underlying- cause of the tremen- 
dous and ever increasing- suffering- that afflict human kind. 
Starting- with false premises we must arrive in time at the 
greatest impoverishment and deg-radation of mankind both 
mentally and physically, until lower, lower, we sink, until the 
human race reaches barbarism and then slavery ag-ain. 

Starting with correct premises, viz: with the central idea 
that to reach the hig-hest perfection of a true civilization, all 
systems of every description of taxation should be conducted 
on the broad plan of an even distribution of the burdens, and 
likewise an even share in the benefits. The trite old saying-. 



* 'Labor pays for everything*," is true today as wHen uttered. 
What does this mean? What has been the result to labor, if 
labor pays for everything"? It is on the down g-rade, and 
down, down it must go, further down, and further down, down 
until where is the stopping place for its downward slide? All 
this is caused by something. Labor pays for everything, then 
if that is the effect on labor the remedy must be, don't make 
labor pay for everything — take off some of its burdens. Make 
those who don't labor pay their share of taxation proportion- 
ately. How shall that be done? By changing the system of 
taxation, that enables those who don't pay any taxation, to 
shoulder all taxes on labor for payment. What system is 
there that does that? The false system of taxation under 
which the whole so-called civilized world is living today. How 
is it false? False because its effects are only too plainly seen 
in every land— the degradation and ignorance of labor, the 
greater the poverty and deeper the degradation in the older 
countries because more densely populated and therefore re- 
quiring heavier taxation, borne by labor — labor pays for every- 
thing — to support a government for their so-called benefit, 
when under the present system of taxation it is positively to 
their injurv. Through this system of taxation labor has been 
robbed of its just earning's since the first starting of this sys- 
tem. Hov^ is it done? Included in the operation of every 
business is the item of taxation, and every business charges as 
-a part of its expenses this item of taxation, as well as interest 
on the amount of capital invested (even though the capital is 
not borrowed) besides a certain per cent profit is added, the 
wage-earners are made. also to pay all losses. When through 
competition of business, or for any cause, business becomes dull, 
and in order to get the per cent profit on the amount of capital 
invested, it becomes necessary to reduce expenses, almost the 
first thing attacked to do this, is to reduce the force and cut 
wages. As soon as wages are cut and the number of employes 
reduced, the consumption of the wage-earners is lessened and 
the market soon becomes glutted — a so-called over-production 
— but it is really an under-consumption caused by reducing the 
consumptive ability of the wage-earners by cutting their 
wages. The consumer pays the taxes on each and every busi- 
ness, besides a profit on each and every business through 
which his purchase reaches him. It is owing entirely and 
only to the present system of taxation on property that the 






masses of the people pay every and all expenses of g-overn- 
nient, and throug-h the operations of this system slavery, or a 
condition worse than slavery, is most surely reached. History 
must repeat itself so long- as we follow this same system. 
This is positive, this is certain. 

Henry Georg-e's sing-le tax theory is all wrong- because he 
advises taxing- land values or property. The middle men who 
handle others' g'oods,not their own manufacture, would pay no 
tax, except increased rent, which would be added to the price 
of the g-oods sold and paid finally by the consumer, or the 
wages of the employes would be reduced to make up the in- 
creased rent, in no event would the tax reach the party aimed 
at, as it would be charg-ed up as a part of the expenses' of the 
business and be paid by the consumer, and if the competition 
of business would not permit this increased cost to the g-oods, 
then the employes' wag-es would suffer. "Coin's Financial 
School " advises increasing- the volume of money of the world, 
but this does not g-o far enoug-h as the system is proven defec- 
tive — the same system that has carried all the g-old, including- 
g-old investments, into the hands of a few, would also carry all 
the silver and silver investments into the hands of the few and 
the same condition w^ould come around ag-ain in time that we 
have no w\ The writer presumes "Coin's Financial School" 
would then want free coinag-e of some other metal; therefore, 
the all important thing- to do is to establish a system of taxa- 
tion that will g-radually distribute the money of the world and 
keep it as nearly evenly distributed as possible. This will 
cause a more even distribution of propert}^ also: A monopoly 
of property will make a monopoly of g-overnment, a monopoly 
of g-overnment means an aristocratic form of g-overnment or 
monarchy, and it behooves our wisest and best men, and our 
deepest thinkers and all those who do not want to see this 
country travel the same downward and hard-beaten path of 
former countries, and reach the same end that all governments 
of ancient times have, to warn the people "en masse " in 
thunder tones, that such is certain to be their fate as sure as 
effect follows cause, and we must most radically change our 
laws of taxation through the ballot-box to avert the certain 
destruction of our Republican form of government and a con- 
dition worse than slavery. Watch out in the near future for a 
restriction of the right of suffrage on a property qualification. 



6 

or educational basis, or for an increase in the Regular Army 
for domestic use. Some pretext will be g-iven for it, but not 
the true reason. When one or both of the above measures are 
passed it will be a long- and disastrous step towards a strong 
centralized government or monarchy. 

There is no man so poor but who pays a greater amount 
of taxation proportionately but indirectly than the greatest 
property holder. The poor man's tax is included in every 
purchase he makes and therefore he has as much right to vote 
as any one. " No taxation without representation " was the 
cause of our Revolutionary war with England, and yet there 
are many now in this country who think it right and just, the 
poor man should have no vote, and in many cases a special tax 
or poll tax is placed upon his right to vote. This is not only 
an infringement on his inalienable right but is increasing his 
burden. All this is strong evidence that many in this country 
are already beginning to dispute the fundamental principles on 
which our republic is founded. 

All this seems perfectly clear to the writer's view — the fore- 
going is written to prove the bad results from following the 
present system of taxation and to point out positively that the 
enslavement of labor, or a condition worse than slavery must 
follow its continuation as sure as fate. Now what system of 
taxation should be substituted? This one and this one alone. 
Take the tax off all property and impose it on all individual in- 
comes only, in a heavy graduated scale — the larger the income 
the greater the rate of taxation on the income. Let us see 
what would result from such a system? It would first of all 
relieve those least able to bear it of the burdens of taxation al- 
together out of proportion to their ability to pay and put it 
proportionately on those most able to bear it. Incomes from 
investments are only the tribute the wage-earners are com- 
pelled by the force of the present system to pay to the income 
receiver, or in other words labor has to pay a part of its earn- 
ings to another for nothing, for all capital has been aggregated 
by the profits off others labor, or in plainer words capital has 
been forced to continually reduce the wages of labor ever since 
the present system of taxation has been in operation in order 
to get a return from the investment. As the taxes are piled 
up on property, the property-owner, other things being equal, 
reduces wages to make up the increased tax. 

To a thoughtful mind is clearly seen the downward ten- 



7 
dency of labor. Where will it stop? If we do not stop it, it 
must lead to the enslavement of labor or a condition worse 
than slavery. To increase the consumptive ability of the 
masses we must distribute throug^h some system more equally 
the means (money) for consumption and this will make a 
g-reater demand for labor, and therefore a better price to fill 
the increased demand. To illustrate: If one family has an 
annual income of fifty thousand dollars, a graduated rate of 
taxation on this income to divide it annually among- ten families 
of ^ve thousand dollars each would increase the consumption 
of the necessaries and comforts of life ten times, this increase 
of ten times the consumption would increase the demand ten 
times for the articles consumed and ten times the demand for 
labor to produce the articles. This increased demand for 
labor would most surely increase the wag-es of labor ten times. 
If all those who g-o half starved, half clothed and poorly shod, 
had the means to feed, clothe, and shoe themselves, well, there 
would be no over production of those articles, and if possible 
there was, the shops need not run so many hours. 

The present system of taxation prevents a just distribu- 
tion of the products of labor; the other system would promote 
and increase the demand for both labor and labor's products. 
Under the present system of taxation, or distribution of bur- 
dens, every labor-saving- machine is an injury to labor. The 
other system would make every labor-saving- machine a tre- 
mendous benefit to labor by decreasing- the hours of labor, and 
g-iving- more time to the inventive g-enius to make other inven- 
tions and discoveries, decreasing- the hours of labor ag-ain, and 
g-iving- still more time for inventions and discoveries. Statis- 
tics show that when all the factories of the country are run- 
ning- full time, enough is produced in nine months for twelve 
months' consumption. During- the three months of idle time 
under the present system the consumption of those not work- 
ing is almost entirely cut off. Under the other system the 
three months of idle time would be spread over twelve months 
by reducing the hours per day, but not lessening the con- 
sumption. Thoughtful students of political economy declare 
under a just distribution of the products of labor it would be 
only necessary for one to work from four to six hours per day 
to support a family in comfort. We must distribute the means 
(money) more evenly, and through this new system of a gradu- 
ated scale of taxation on all individual incomes keep it distrib- 



uted, and this will make a more even distribution of the com- 
forts and necessaries of life. 

Man's mind in general is one vast store-house of unlimited 
ability to solve the mysteries of nature's wonders for his ad- 
vancement and prog-ress, and needs only less hours from toil 
to supply his physical Wants, for its increasing- and continual 
development. The tremendous field of undeveloped talent 
among- the masses needs only more time and better opportunity 
to work out every thoug-ht of prog-ress that sug-g-ests itself and 
can throug-h this new system of taxation devote a few hours of 
each day towards solving- the most hidden secrets of nature. 

When we see around us every day the pinched faces of 
half-starved and poorly-clad children and also of g-rown people 
beg-rimed with the dirt and sweat of honest but poorly paid 
toil drag-g-ing- their weary limbs homeward to a cheerless and 
scantily furnished fireside. When we know in our larg-e stores 
it is sug-g-ested to young- women who cry out they can not live 
on such small wag-es, " Havn't you a g-entleman friend who 
will assist you?" Nice moral sug-g-estions these. When 
young women living- lives of shame, tell the visitors of the 
women's social purity society, to g-o to the factories and see 
the female employes who g-et two dollars a week for their 
work, you will find why so many lives are ruined, so many 
hopes are crushed out, and so much crime prevails. " Necessi- 
tas non habet leg-em. " The professors of our g-reatest 
universities are not allowed to make researches 
or lecture before the public if their views are 
not cautious enoug-h not to offend those from w4iom 
the money is received. "Splendid civilization." "Splendid 
universities," that must continue to teach error. "Great 
political economists." "Great statesmen" are turned out 
from such universities. All this is a picture dark enoug-h to 
make us stop at nothing- to destroy the underlying- cause, 
the infamous system of taxation that is directly responsible 
for such unhappiness, such misery and crime to so many 
millions — these unhappy conditions already bad enough must 
g-row^^ worse and worse indefinitely so long- as this system of 
taxation • lives. A preacher in Ohio, arrested for forg-ery, 
when asked why he committed the crime, declared he did so on 
account of the destitute condition of his family. Here is your 
crime linked to its cause — poverty. 

A little g-irl arrested in Chicag-o for attempting" to steal a 



9 
pair of slippers to sell for money to supply her starving-, sick 
mother and little sisters, when broug-ht to the p(^)lice station, 
the matron fetched her a dish of bread and meat, the sio-ht of 
food so touched the feeling-s of the little one, that amid sobs 
and tears she beg'g'ed the matron to permit her to take some of 
the food to her loved ones at home. Poverty and crime ag'aiii. 
Cause and effect: Destroy poverty and want, and we destroy 
almost all crime; and it can be done. 

All these criminal thing's happening- in a country over- 
flowing- with everything- for every man's necessity and comfort 
because the masses of the people have not the means (money) 
to g-et at these thing^s. Distribute the means (money) more 
evenly each year throug-h this system of a g-raduated rate of 
taxation on all individual incomes and the masses can then g-et 
at, and consume, more liberally of these thing's, for their com- 
fort and necessity. How can the masses g-et at them when 
they have not the means? All this can be done under this 
proposed new system of taxation if the people want it done; 
but will they do it? The w^riter points out the wa}^ he be- 
lieves clearly, and forcibly, and honestly: Povert3\ ig-norance, 
crime, w^ars, aye, man's selfishness itself (man's inhumanity to 
man)are all g-rowths of such a system of taxation. In his strug-- 
g-les for self-preservation, to live, it makes him cold-hearted, 
selfish, cruel, and utterly indifferent to the w^elfare of his 
fellow-man so he individually can live. 

Preachers may strive to their utmost to prevent crime by 
teaching-' us the gfoodness and mercy of God; civil laws may be 
passed inflicting- all kinds of punishment ag-ainst crime; labor- 
ers may organize, strike, burn and destroy property, and 
sometimes almost open rebellion, but in all such cases they are 
fig-hting- the effects only of this underlying- cause, this infam- 
ous system of taxation. It is impossible for the people of any 
nation to maintain a hig-h rate of wag-es so long- as free trade 
in labor lasts, and even thoug-h free trade in labor is prevented, 
that alone will not be sufficient to uplift the masses of the 
people, but it will materially help to do so. The main thing- 
after the abolition of free trade in labor is effected, wnll be to 
destroy the present system of taxation, and substitute the 
proposed new one. Free trade in labor must reduce the w^ag-es 
of labor here to the common level of wag-es in all other coun- 
tries. To place a heavy tariff on every man, woman, and 
child coming- into this country would be only just to labor al- 



10 

ready here, and to our natural increase in population. Our 
laws prohibiting- importation of labor under contract counts 
f )r nothiniJ^, a-; u;i'ess there is a written contract or verbal one 
susceptible of proof, there is nothing* to prevent labor coming- 
in free to supplant American workmen — the American would 
be compelled to work for as low wag-es as the imported laborer 
or lose his job. 

From the Chicag-o Tribune: Lord Scully, the 100,000 
acre land owner of Illinois, formerly received three dollars 
rent per acre for his land including- taxes— the smart Leg-isla- 
ture of Illinois of so-called statesmen passed a law prohibiting 
the Lord from includin^^ his taxes in his rent, the "business '* 
Lord simply raised the rent hig-h enoug-h to include the taxes 
and his tenants had to pay $3.50 and $4-. 00 per acre rent, 
the taxes beinof ag-ain shifted on his rack-rented tenants. 
This is written to show how impotent it is to reach the big- 
property holder throug-h this present system of taxation. 
Why not put a g-raduated rate of taxation on the individual in- 
comes of all persons? Such a system of taxation would reach 
such people and in no other way can it be done. Under the 
present system of taxation every man eng-ag-ed in a small 
business must have his business g-radually g-row less and finally 
lost. Under the present system every man working- on a 
salary must have his salary reduced indefinitely — under the 
present system every man working- on wages must have his 
wag-es reduced indefinitely. There may be occasionally an in- 
crease, but generally the effect must be downward. There is 
no other salvation, no other hope for the permanent freedom of 
mankind from a condition of slavery, or a condition (making a 
living) worse than slavery so long as the present infamous sys- 
tem of taxation on property continues. 

Law^s necessary to make effective the system of taxation 
in the foregoing: 

First, A SI, 000. 00 tariff tax on each and every man, v^o- 
man and child coming- into the United States. This law 
would protect the labor of this country from the competition of 
the labor of the world at our own doors, and will be of incal- 
culable benefit to the labor already here. 

Second, A o-^-aduated rate of taxation on every man, wo- 
man and child going out of the United States. This law will 
prevent tens of millions of dollars from being spent abroad by 



11 

American tourists, draining- this country of its (means) mone}^ 
of consumption. 

Third, A graduated rate of taxation on all individual in- 
comes. This law will make all citizens pay their share of 
taxation proportionately. 

Fourth, Compel recording*, in public records, within 
a certain time, of all shares of stock of all 
corporations, of all bonds of corporations, all 

mortgages, and all liens on property of ever}^ description, 
and bear the assessor's stamp, or declared invalid. 1 his law 
will show up the incomes correctly. 

Fifth, Repeal all laws placirg taxes on property of every 
description. This law will prevent shifting- of all taxes on 
the masses. 

Sixth, A heavy penalty for violatic n of any of these laws, 
and doubling the tax on all incomes for each violation. These 
are drastic measures, but desperate cases require desperate 
remedies to preserve our Republican institutions. 

SUMMARY. 

The whole world of thought on ec( ncmics seems alive to 
the fact there is something wrong somewhere, some underlying- 
cause for the continual downward course of labor. People go 
half -starved, poorly clad, while the country is overflowing 
with everything for man's necessity and comfort. Our glor- 
ious free country, "Land of the Free, and Home of the 
Brave," seems to be traveling the same road all countries, of 
thepast have traveled, and present, are traveling. Why is this 
so? Because we have followed the same general system of taxa- 
tion of the other countries. "The same system must produce the 
same result." "History must repeat itself" until we change 
the system that must make it repeat itself. The people cry, 
Oh, for a Lincoln! Oh, for some one to lead us away from the 
quag-mire of ruin and despair, all feel is surely and irresistibly 
approaching. Our laws are made by ourselves, through our 
representatives, our benches are filled by judges of our own 
choosing, then what is wrong? What produces this discon- 
tent, this uncertainty of the future? Our big- news dailies are 
asking, "Will our Republic last another hundred years?" 
Answers from some declare it will, others are fearful to give 
an opinion, others doubtful, and again others declare it can 
not. Where are our so-called statesmen, that they have not. 



12 

can not discover the iind^irlying cause for our apprehensions, 
and do not b-g-sri at once to dig- up and destroy it? Is the hu- 
man mind £-rowin,o- weaker, less competent to solve the prob- 
lems that present themselves, or are we determined not to 
bother ourselves with the near future, almost the already 
present ? 

We are living today in this country, under the same system 
of taxation, that will, that must produce the same result that 
system has produced in the older countries. We can not 
escape that result unless we chano-e the system now in opera- 
tion. 

The people of this country need not be lulled into the po- 
sition of safety from the evils of the old countries, by our so- 
called statesmen hurling- names at those who positively see 
what is coming- as certain as fate is certain. The cause is here 
and the effect is sure to follow. What must be done to pre- 
vent it? Chang-e our system of taxation. How chang^e it? 
Take the tax off all property and put it on all individual in- 
comes in a g-raduated rate — the g-reater the income the greater 
the rate of taxation on the income. 

The effect of this system of taxation w^ould be to make 
those most able to bear it pay proportionately their shares of 
taxation, and correspondingly lessen the taxation ofthose least 
able to bear it, and thereby increasing- the consumption of 
the masses of the people, and increasing the demand for both 
products and labor. The proposed new system would in time 
equalize all incomes, amply sufficient to supply all with all the 
necessaries and comforts of life — -the new system ivould grad- , 
ually reduce the hours of labor without a decrease of pay, and 
give the inventive genius time to work out his inventions and 
discoveries; each invention and discovery when in general use 
would decrease the hours of labor again, and give still more 
time for the inventive genius to make other inventions and dis- 
coveries — thus on the upward grade, rising higher and higher 
as we overcome the obstacles to our progress, until who can 
say where or to what point of magnificent civilization and 
grandeur we can not reach, ever upward into the infinite space 
of man's capacity and ever-increasing ^sdom, until as we 
learn to do all things, we can call ourselves truly '*Sons of 
God," 

These are the aspirations, hopes, and destiny of the hu- 
man race, and above all they can be attained. Shall we 



13 
start now to correct the past, throw aside forever a system 
which has been found wanting- and which has held down the 
progress and hopes of mankind, and beg-in anew under a 
system which will g*ive us all things? "Ask and you shall 
receive," "Seek and you shall find." "Knock and it shall 
be opened unto you." All these things have been prom- 
ised us and shall be attained if we start right. ' 

B. J.Jenkins, 



^=^=^^ ^^s=^y=^=@^ ^^=^^^^^=^ 



A MEW 
{POLITIC AL ECOfiOnY" 

SHOWING THE 

UndkrivYing Cause for Poverty, Ignorance and 

Crime, and Also the True and Permanent 

Remedy eor These Evn^s. 



f) B.J.JENKINS, Author. d 



ir^ 



Entered in the Office of Librarian of Congress, October 21st, 1895. (J 



PRICE, 25 CENTS. 



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